California Pacific Medical Center Sets the Record Straight About Federal Mediator Recommendations

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., September 9, 2005 – California Pacific Medical Center wishes to set the record straight in response to SEIU-UHW's recent public statements regarding recommendations from a Federal Mediator about the ongoing labor dispute. The Federal Mediator presented the two parties, SEIU-UHW and CPMC, with a document that, in his words, "represents [his] analysis of what might be acceptable to both sides to avert such a strike." Unfortunately, SEIU-UHW has circulated a document without the Mediator's introductory comments, thus grievously misrepresenting the purpose of the document.

For background, California Pacific Medical Center has been in informal, confidential discussions with SEIU-UHW, Local 250 about how best to return to formal bargaining and to avoid a disruptive strike. These discussions related solely to California Pacific Medical Center's contract and did not involve any other Sutter Health affiliate.

SEIU-UHW, Local 250, via a Federal Mediator, submitted to CPMC a document regarding the union's prerequisites for a settlement. CPMC agreed to receive the document for review and responded immediately – both verbally and in writing – that we did not agree to its language, and its inclusion of other Sutter affiliates who were not participating in the discussions.

California Pacific Medical Center, acting in good faith and with union leaders' knowledge, was in the process of reviewing and responding to this document when SEIU-UHW released it to the public. In so doing, union leaders breached the confidential nature of the discussions and grievously misrepresented both the purpose and the significance of the document.

The Federal Mediator, acting in good faith, passed on to CPMC his analysis of the union's prerequisites for a settlement which included union demands that CPMC has consistently declined during formal bargaining as inconsistent with the best interest of patient care. The union has taken a discussion document and distributed it as a formal recommendation by a Federal Mediator. However, such a formal recommendation requires that all parties have been participants in the discussion, and agree to the terms. These prerequisites were not met during these informal discussions. SEIU-UHW has been fully aware of these facts and nonetheless chose to mislead our employees and the public about these matters.

"Unfortunately, SEIU-UHW has chosen to take the Mediator's recommendations out of context, mischaracterizing them," says Dr. Martin Brotman, California Pacific Medical Center's President and CEO. Dr. Brotman continued, "it is disappointing that the Medical Center's good faith efforts have been misrepresented by SEIU. California Pacific still remains committed to returning to the bargaining table and reaching an agreement with SEIU-UHW as we recently did with the California Nurses Association."

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Contact
Christine McMurry
California Pacific Medical Center
(415) 809-4214 (pager)
mcmurrcx@sutterhealth.org